Mom's Guide for Switching Milk Formula

10:58
Lynn Toh
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As babies grow, their nutritional needs changes. While most formula milk are tailored to each stage of your baby’s development, it is not always easy to decide when to progress from one formula to the next, even up to stage 3 milk powder. Learn more about when to switch formulas and how each formula is developed specially for your baby’s needs.

Most times, many mums feel unsure about which formula to use and how to move their baby on to the next formula. Apart from when there are certain issues, moving onto the next baby formula should not be done all of a sudden. Your baby will most certainly need about a week to adjust to a new formula, so it is advisable to introduce it gradually. There might be some noticeable differences in their nappies, such as changes in frequency, consistency and color of stool. This is usually because the nutritional content and ingredients of the new formula might be different to the previous milk and their digestive system may need a little time to adjust. Switching from Special milk

If a special milk has been prescribed for your baby, it is of great import that you ask your doctor for advice first before you move on to any other baby milk. Switching from comfort milks

Comfort milk are specially made for babies with constipation or colic. If this type of baby formula was suggested to you by your doctor, try and switch to it as soon as you can, so that your baby can benefit from its special formulation instantly.

After changing to comfort milk, you may detect that your baby has more wind, or that your baby's stool is looser and greenish in color. You need not worry about this as it is just a sign that your baby’s digestive system is adapting to the new milk.

However, you may like to move back onto a standard infant formula tailored to their stage once your baby’s digestive system has had a chance to mature. If you are changing to a standard formula, try and do so gradually. Make sure you keep an eye out in case your baby’s constipation or colic symptoms reappear.

Hungry milks

In the first few weeks, all babies, whether they are being bottle-fed or breastfed, tend to need feeding frequently. This is usually because newborns have very tiny tummies, which can easily be filled up. Some mums may mistake this frequent demand for feeding as their baby being unusually hungry which is not so. Mums may consider moving them on to a Hungry milk formula which contains 80% casein. It is this higher casein content that will help your baby feel fuller for longer because it is slower to digest than whey.

Also, hungry milks may help to slow down the early onset of weaning. Babies who are under 6 months of age but are showing early weaning signs can also gain from being moved on to a hungry formula.

Switching to Follow on milk

Follow on baby formulas are suitable from 6 months of age and they are specially formulated to complement weaning. They will provide your growing baby with all the nutrients needed in a smaller volume of formula milk, thereby leaving room in their small tummies for their first weaning foods.

At 6 months, another important change is that the natural iron stores your baby was born with starts to reduce so follow on milks contain more iron than normal first milk. Many mums make the switch so as to help meet their babies’ changing needs.